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Beneficiary of Goducate’s sewing project puts son through college

Mr. Rizaldo Mendoza, a beneficiary of Goducate’s sewing project, has had the joy of seeing his 4th child, Emmanuel Mendoza, graduate as a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. 

Mr Mendoza with Emmanuel

Mr Mendoza joined the sewing project in May 2013.  Prior to that he had been a tailor in Saudi Arabia for 9 years, during which he had been able to visit his family on only three occasions. When he visited his family in May 2013, he decided to stay back in the Philippines because his 3rd son, Christian, had been diagnosed as having a brain tumor in 2006. While looking for a job, he came across Goducate’s sewing project.

When the Goducate Livelihood Center had to close, he rented his own place, and started a business with machines from the center and with 2 of the people he had trained there. Despite giving a portion of his profits back to Goducate towards a fund for more machines, he was able to send his 4th and 5th sons to college, something he could not do for his 2 eldest children while he was working in Saudi Arabia. (http://www.goducate.org/tailor-in-goducates-livelihood-program-in-laguna-makes-good.html)

His business continued to grow.

He says of Emmanuel’s graduation:  “Goducate’s livelihood program (sewing project) really helps me to provide the need for my family. 100% of my income came from the sewing project. By that I was able to support Emman’s study. It is hard but now the hardship turn into happiness and fulfillment.”

Emmanuel also helped in the sewing business whenever he was on vacation. And for 4 years he was part of the Goducate scholars scheme.

Sadly, Christian died in July 2014.

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Goducate workers in the Philippines undergo peace and diversity training by The Blue Ribbon Global

Goducate works in a variety of communities, so its workers have to know how to get on with diverse groups. Goducate has thus worked with The Blue Ribbon Global, an organization that supports community building, to a large extent through its Peace Ambassadors’ Training and Peace Services. 

Facilitator watching team doing an activity

In March this year, The Blue Ribbon Global conducted two Peace, Diversity and Inclusion workshops in the Philippines—one in Iloilo for Goducate workers, and one in Laguna for Goducate workers, young professionals, and the local police. It had previously conducted a workshop in July last year for Goducate workers in Iloilo. Some of those who had gone through the training last year underwent a further short training this year to be workshop facilitators. 

In Iloilo, the topics covered during the 2-day fun and interactive workshops included acceptance, beauty of diversity, understanding conflict, and sustainable development. 

Team leaders showing what their teams learnt about beauty in diversity

As a part of the workshop in Iloilo, a Skype interview was conducted with Ahmad Shah Karimi, director of Afghan Youth Empowerment and Peace-Building Team. The conversation was to introduce our team to peace workers elsewhere.

The short workshop held in Goducate Laguna Center introduced the participants not only to the concepts of peace, diversity, and inclusion, but also to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Goducate has been registered as a partner with the SDG since October 2018. The SDGs are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 for the year 2030, and the workshops conducted by The Blue Ribbon Global for Goducate fall under the 4th goal—of quality education.

Trainees with their certificates of completion
*Our guest writer is Carmela Damaso, a staff member at Goducate Training Center, Iloilo
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Resident from Goducate Children’s Home in Cambodia enters fashion academy

Sarah Kong, the first girl to be admitted to the Goducate Children’s Home in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, about 13 years ago, started a course at the MaPa Fashion Design Academy in Phnom Penh this week.

Sarah during her entrance exam at the Academy, an assessment if she knows her way with the sewing machines

Sarah, the youngest of 7 siblings, lost her father at a very young age. Growing up in one of the villages of Sihanoukville, she helped her mother to sell food on the streets. The family came to the attention of a staff member of the Home through a community outreach. Sarah and an elder brother were taken into the Home and attended the school based at the Home. Their mother was invited to serve as a cook at the Home. The older siblings had by then become independent.

Sarah has taken part in the various activities in the Home and has made special contributions to some of them. She was taught by some visitors to the Home how to play the violin, and not only became part of the Home’s mini-orchestra, but also taught the younger members of the Home how to play the violin.  She has also helped in many of the Home’s community outreaches, especially in the English Literacy Program, where she served as interpreter, as well as teacher to the younger kids. 

Sarah helping the Home with community outreach by teaching kids

Through the school she learnt about various professions, and she also met professionals from different fields who visited the school. However, her choice of career was determined by her strength in art. When she learnt the basics of sewing and dressmaking in one of the technical classes offered at the Home, she began to sketch dress designs in her free time. She also mended clothes for the younger children in the Home.

Sarah sketching during her free time in the Home

Sarah started her course on April 22. Her dream of setting up her own fashion academy and her own clothes line should motivate her to work hard and excel in her course.       

*Our guest writer is Shelia O. Benosa, a teacher at the Home’s school.